Silica is a very common stuff in the ground. Chemists write it SiO2: silicon joined to oxygen.

Silica矽 is是 a very common stuff in the ground地底下非常常見的一種物質。 Chemists化學家 write it SiO2把它寫成SiO2 silicon joined to oxygen矽跟氧結合在一起。

You already know it by other names. Beach sand is mostly silica. Quartz is silica grown into a hard, glassy crystal. Flint is silica too — the dark stone that can strike a spark.

You你 already know it by other names其實已經用別的名字認識它了。 Beach sand海灘上的沙子 is mostly silica大部分就是矽。 Quartz石英 is silica grown into a hard, glassy crystal是矽長成的一種堅硬、玻璃般的結晶。 Flint燧石 is silica too也是矽 the dark stone that can strike a spark那種可以打出火花的深色石頭。

Glassmakers melt silica (with a few other things) to make glass, so the word turns up in science class and in factories, not much in the kitchen.

Glassmakers玻璃師傅 melt silica (with a few other things)把矽（加上幾樣其他東西）熔化 to make glass來做玻璃 so所以 the word turns up in science class and in factories這個字會出現在科學課和工廠裡 not much in the kitchen廚房裡就比較少見。

Though actually, the tidy picture — “silica is sand” — is a little too tidy. Sand is mostly silica, but it can carry other grains as well; and “silica gel,” those little packets in a new bag that say do not eat, is still silica, only made into a dry, thirsty form that drinks water from the air.

Though actually不過其實 the tidy picture — 「silica is sand」「矽就是沙子」這個整潔的說法 is a little too tidy稍微太整潔了一點。 Sand沙子 is mostly silica大部分是矽 but it can carry other grains as well但也可能夾雜其他顆粒 and而 「silica gel」「矽膠乾燥劑」 those little packets in a new bag that say do not eat也就是新買的袋子裡那種寫著不可食用的小包 is still silica其實也是矽 only made into a dry, thirsty form that drinks water from the air只是被做成一種乾燥、很會吸水的形式，能從空氣裡吸走水分。

That gel is not the soft rubber you bake in. That is silicone, a different word.

That gel那種凝膠 is not the soft rubber you bake in不是你拿去烤的軟橡膠。 That那個 is silicone叫做矽膠（silicone） a different word是不同的字。